Can conveyer



March 8, 1932. J. H. BUR-PEE 1,848,603

CAN CONVEYER Filed April 7, 1931 \1 r1 INVENTOR, cs 3% r/o/znILBurpee. M Qimia,

ATTORNEY.

5 bottom of the passageway in which they elk Patented Mar. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN E BURPEE, OF BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO E. B. FOSTER AND CECIL A. FOLSOM, F BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON CAN CONVEYER My invention relates to improvements in can conveyers, and has for an object to provide overlapping conveyer plates for an endless-chain conveyer which nearly cover the move whether the same be straight or curved.

Another object of my improvement is to provide overlapping chain-conveyor plates engaged with each other in chain relation to cause individual feathering thereof.

Another object of my improvement is to provide oblong, overlapping, eccentricallypivoted, chain-conveyer plates engaged with each other in chain relation to cause individual feathering thereof.

Another object of my improvement is to provide oblong, overlapping, eccentricallypivoted, chain-conveyer plates engaged in chain relation for varying spacing.

Another object of my improvement is to provide overlapping, chain-conveyer plates for carrying cans around bendsadapted to avoid catching hold of said cans although the same are relatively large and small.

Another object of my improvement is to provide a pivoted take-up device to maintain operative tension throughout the chain of the conveyer.

Other objects of my improvement will appear as the description proceeds.

I attain these and other objects of my im provement with the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings,

which form a part of this specification, in

which Figure 1 is a plan view of my conveyer in place in a cooking tank the cover of which is removed and having a large central section broken away for lack of space for the drawings, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1 in section on the bent line 22 thereof. Fig. 3 is the front end elevation of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is an edge elevation of one of the similar conveyer plates segregated, Fig.

5 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 4, Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of another form of the conveyer plates, Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the movable end guide as attached to the chain-take-up lever, and Fig. 8 is a plan view of the pivoted take-up lever segregated.

Application filed. April 7, 1931. Serial No. 528,255.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout and certain parts are broken away for lack of space or to show other parts hidden thereby.

With more particular reference to the designated parts: A tank 9, which in practice may be thirty or more feet long, has a water-seal top edge 10 and is provided with covler 11 having a flanged edge to fit in the sea There are three frame bars fastened longitudinally within the tank of which the center one 12 is confined to the tank while the rear-side bar 13 and the front-side bar 14 extend the full length of the tank and are extended through openings in the front tank wall and project beyond the same.

Drive sprocket wheel 15 is fastened on shaft 16 which is mounted for revolution in vertical bearing 17 fastened to bar 13 exter nal to the tank. Lead sprocket wheel 18 is fastened to shaft 19 which is mounted for revolution in a vertical bearing fastened on bar 13 near the rear end of the tank and within the same in chain relation with sprocket 15. Lead sprocket wheel 25 is fastened to shaft 26 and the shaft is mounted for revolution in a vertical bearing 21' fastened midway on take-up lever 20. Take-up lever is pivoted at 22 to bracket arm (112 on bar 12 and has eye 24: fastened on the front side of its free end and lug 23 on its front side midway thereof. Bearing 21 is disposed to mount sprocket 25 in chain relation with sprocket 18. Lead sprocket wheel 27 is fastened on shaft 28, which is mounted for revolution in vertical bearing 29 on the front end of bar 14 external to the tank, in chain relation with sprocket 15. Lead sprocket 30 is fastened on shaft 31 which is mounted for revolution in vertical bearing 32 on bar 14 within the tank near the rear end thereof. Sprocket 30 is disposed in chain relation with sprockets 25 and 27.

Conveyor chain 33 is engaged with all of said sprocket wheels to provide a single fold thereof external to the tank at the front end thereof and a double fold within the tank extending through openings 42 and 43 in the front wall of the tank. Chain 33 is composed of a number of groups of three links each joined in the usual conyever chain manner and said groups are joined in hinge relation by plate pins 34 thus equally spacing said pins. Pins 34 protrude beneath the chain where each has a removable key pin extended through an opening therein to prevent said hinge pins from moving upward out of operative position. Said hinge pins 34 also protrude above the chain and each has welded to its upper end one of conveyer plates 35. As shown the upper end a34 of the pin is flattened to a head and welded in a hole in said plate. This construction is used for the benefit of the illustration, but in practice the butt end of the pin is welded on the bottom side of the plate leaving the top thereof smooth.

Each of plates 35 is preferably oblong and pin 34 is fastened near one end thereof while in the other end thereof is deep notch 36 through which is extended pin 34 of the overlying plate 35 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Notch 36 is deep enough to provide for the nearer approach of pins 34 in passing over a sprocket wheel when adjacent pins are in the chord of an arc in which the chain therebetween is held. This relation is clearly shown in Fig. 1 on sprocket wheel 30 where the adj acent pins engaged by the sprocket are nearer together than on the straight parts of the chain between the sprocket wheels. Notch 36 is deep enough to accommodate this de scribed nearer approach of the pins when passing over the sprocket wheels, as stated. In Fig. 6 is shown a conveyer plate 0135 in which slot a36 replaces notch 36 described. Slot a36 is long enough and disposed to accommodate the pin 34 of the overlying plate when chain 33 is straight and also when it is curved over a sprocket wheel. Plate (135 is preferred over plate 35 when the required quantity of conveyer plates makes stamping thereof desirable. The width of notch 36 and slot (136 is only suflicient to allow one of pins 34 to operate therein, and the engagement of the hinge pin of each conveyer plate in the opening in the underlying plate couples the several plates in articulative chain relation. The preferred shape of the conveyer plates is oval, as illustrated, in that the external-edge contour thereof may be substantially concentric with the sprocket wheels as they turn about the same. As usual in such structures, one of pins 34 must be disengageable from its plate in order that the chain may be coupled in continuous relation and uncoupled therefrom.

A removable hinge pin chosen for the illustration is shown at 034 in Fig. 1 extended through plate reinforcement 634 on plate 635. Said reinforcement is preferably made by using a washer with a beveled edge and a countersunk hole to register with the pin hole in the plate. The washer is welded to the plate and the head of the pin is very thin with beveled edge and has an integral key thereon to engage in a keyseat in the washer.

One edge of the chain of conveyer plates is supported on the horizontal flange of angle bar 37 which begins at chute 40 passes through tank opening 42 and continues to follow the tortuous course of the chain of plates through the tank and passes out through tank opening 43 to connect with chute 41. The vertical flange of this angle bar provides a wall to guide the cams passing through the tank. The other edge of the chain of plates is supported on the horizontal flange of angle bar 38 which begins at (138 adjacent tightener sprocket wheel 25, best shown in Fig. 1, and follows the course of the chain of plates through the tank which it leaves through opening 42 therein to follow the same edge of the chain of plates external to the tank which it again enters through opening 43 to continue alongside the plates till sprocket wheel 25 is again reached where it terminates at 638. The vertical flange of angle bar 38'provides a wall to guide the cans passing through the tank. Both angle bars are supported on brackets fastened to the tank and to bar 12 and also they are fastened tothe tank wall where they pass therethrough. Three of said supporting brackets are shown at a37, 1137 and 637. The horizontal flange of angle bar 39 supports the outer edges of said chain of plates passing from chute 41 to chute 40 external to the tank, and the vertical flange thereof provides a wall for cans on said plates. Angle bar 39 is fastened to said chutes. I

Cans are delivered to the tank through chute 40 leading to the chain of conveyer plates which enter said tank through opening 42 in the front end thereof. Said cans are delivered by said conveyer plates through opening 43 in said front end of the tank into chute 41 after having followed the chain of conveyer plates through its entire course within the tank.

Cord 44 is fasten-ed in eye 24 on the free end of take-up lever 20 and is extended through an opening in the front end of the tank where it passes over sheave 45, which is mounted for revolution on an axle bolt fastened to the outside end of bar 14, and has weight 46 fastened to its outer end to maintain take-up pressure on sprocket wheel 25 and conveyer chain 33 thereover.

The lower end of frame 47 is pivoted to lug 23 on take-up lever 20, extends forward and then upward to provide support for semicircular guard rail 49. Said guard rail is fastened to frame 47 to dispose the guard rail adjacent and forward of the central front fold of the chain of conveyer discs to guardthe cans moving thereon. Frame 47 is extended rearward and downward at 147 to engage with guide 50 in which it may recipro- -ont cats to maintain guard 49 properly disposed relative to said discs as lever 20 oscillates on ca%screw 22.

evel gear 51 is fastened on the bottom end of sprocket shaft 16. Bearing 54 is fastened e front end of the tank and mounts shaft 53 for revolution disposed to engage bevel gear 52 fastened thereon with bevel gear 51 described. On shaft 53 also is fastened drive pulley 55 adapted to be driven from a prime mover not shown. The construction roviding for the driving of chain 33 and p ates 35 by pulley 55.

Pipe 56 is extended through an opening in the tank and lies on or near the bottom thereof. Within the tank the pipe is perforated. It is connected with a source of steam, not shown.

The illustration is of a vegetable cooker and the conveyer is operated slowly to allow cans of vegetables carried through the tank thereon to receive initial cooking from the heat of steam therein prior to scaling the tops thereof.

My conveyer is well suited for the objects illustrated and described as well as many other uses where articles are to be carried on chain conveyors.

Having thus disclosed my invention, what it claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,.-

l. The conveyer chain of an endless chain conveyer including a closed chain of links engageable with sprocket wheels and having hinge pins protruding from one edge thereof, and an endless chain of overlapping conveyer plates each having an elongated opening therein near one end thereof through which extends one of said protruding hinge pins and being fastened near its other end to the end of another of said protruding hinge pms.

pins and the protrudin end of another of said hinge pins being astened to one side of said plate near the other end thereof and extended through said elongated opening in an adjacent one of said plates, and connections between said drive sprocket wheel and a source of power.

4. An endless chain conveyer including a drive sprocket wheel and lead sprocket wheels mounted for revolution disposed in chain relation one of said lead sprocket wheels being mounted for said revolution on a take-up lever for oscillation therewith, means to pivot one end of said take-up lever for oscillation, a counterweight connected to the other end of said take-up lever to pull the same tightening a conveyer chain mounted on said sprocket Wheels, said conveyer chain mounted on said sprocket wheels to be driven thereby having hin e pins rotruding from one edge thereof, an an en less chain of overlappin conveyer plates each having an elongated opening therein near one end thereof through which extends one of said protruding hinge pins and being fastened near its other end to the end of another one of said protruding hinge pins.

JOHN H. BURPEE.

2. The conveyer chain of an endless chain I conveyer including a closed chain of links engageable with sprocket wheels. hinge pins I mounting spaced joints of said chain for articulation protruding from one edge thereof, and an endless chain of conveyer plates each having an elongated opening therein near one end thereof and the other end thereof being fastened to the protruding end of one of said hinge pins said pin being extend ed through said elongated opening in an adjacent one or said conveyer plates.

3. An endless chain conveyer including a drive sprocket wheel and lead sprocket wheels mounted in chain relation for revolution. an endless chain engageable with said sprocket wheels mounted thereon tobe driven thereby. hinge pins mounting spaced joints of said chain forrarticulation protruding from one edge thereof, overlapping conveyer plates each having an elongated opening therein near one end thereof through which is extended the protruding end of one of said hinge 

